dc.contributor.author	Campen, Ryan James
dc.coverage.spatial	United States	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2021-05-10T14:14:09Z
dc.date.available	2021-05-10T14:14:09Z
dc.date.issued	2021-04
dc.identifier.other	040E40DC-7B63-35B5-4854-342A2334C99E	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/4772
dc.description.abstract	Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and more (LGBT+) college students have had a long and interesting history with higher education institutions. These students seek out a location on campus that provides them with a safe space where they are free to express themselves in terms of their gender and sexual identity openly. This study seeks to better understand how LGBT+ college students find a safe space on campuses when there is not one already provided for them. These data were collected through interviews with six college students who identify within the LGBT+ community and attend an institution which does not have an established safe space. Through analysis of the themes, it was revealed that LGBT+ students find safe spaces in other students in comparison to the physical environment. Students also stated that being on campus, offers more safety than being off campus when they considered their identities. Students also indicated locations like the library and front lawn offered safe spaces. Five students supported the establishment of a safe space for LGBT+ students; one student was neither supportive nor unsupportive. These data can better inform student affairs practitioners on how to better support LGBT+ students while they work with them. They also support colleges and universities establishing safe spaces for LGBT+ students. Finally, the study lays groundwork for future research projects into how other groups of students of historically marginalized identities find safe spaces and how students attending different types of institutions with different attributes are impacted in their search. Keywords: Higher Education, LGBT+, LGBT+ Students, Safe Spaces, LGBT+ Safe Spaces, College Students	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 -- Overview of Paper 2 -- Theoretical Framework 3 -- Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 7 -- Introduction 7 -- History of LGBT+ College Students 7 -- Current State of LGBT+ College Students 10 -- Current Anti-LGBT+ Legislation 20 -- Safe Spaces 20 -- Constitutionality of Safe Spaces 24 -- Student Development Theory and Safe Spaces 25 -- Conclusion 28 -- Chapter III: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS 30 -- Theming and Coding Data 31 -- Overview of Participants 32 -- Limitations 34 -- Preliminary Suppositions and Implications 33 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 35 -- On Campus Being Safer When Compared to Off Campus 35 -- Odum Library and Front Lawn as a Safe Space on Campus 35 -- Faculty, Staff, and Student Organizations Provide Safe Spaces 36 -- Student Union and Outdoor Walkway as an Unsafe Space 38 -- Feelings Regarding an Established Safe Space on Campus 39 -- CHAPTER V: ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION 41 -- Discussion 41 -- Connection to Schlossberg’s Theory of Mattering and Marginality 41 -- Connection to Strange and Banning’s Four Environments 42 -- Connection to Other Referenced Theories 44 -- Implications for Student Affairs Practice 49 -- Implications for Future Research 50 -- Conclusion 53 -- REFERENCES 55 -- APPENDIX A: Institutional Review Board Protocol Exemption Report 66 -- APPENDIX B: Research Statement and Individual Interview Questions 69.	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document (PDF/A), 83 pages. 768194 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Academic theses	en_US
dc.subject	Education, Higher	en_US
dc.subject	Sexual minorities	en_US
dc.subject	Gay college students	en_US
dc.subject	College students	en_US
dc.title	In search of safety: A qualitative study on how LGBT+ college students find safe spaces on college campuses	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development of the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Workman, Jamie
dc.description.committee	Archibald, James
dc.description.committee	Sullivan, Terrence
dc.description.degree	M.A.	en_US
dc.description.major	Educational Leadership	en_US